Dirigible



Aug. 21, 1934. UBEL 1,970,647

DIRIGIBLE Filed Dec. 11. 1930 s Sheets-Sheet 1 w I: q 5; mummlmmnm w! 11' w b r gmwnto'o Hugo fi arzfleubez H. K. DEUBEL DIRIGIBLE Filed Dec 11.

1930 3 sheets-sheet 2 gwventoz 71113016111 fieubel,

21, 1934- H.., K. DEUBEL 1,970,647

DIRIGIBLE Filed Dec. 11, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 SEEM R3" 3mm I J-lugolzrlfleubel. v

Patented Aug. 21, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT oar-lea 1 Claim.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in dirigibles, and to landing and mooring means therefor.

The primary object of the invention resides in the construction of a dirigible having a depending gondola constructed to carry water ballast and designed to permit alighting of the the body or gas bag and to lessen the number of struts required for the bracing of the dirigible body or gas bag. Another object ofthe invention is to provide a dirigible of the foregoing character wherein side fins or wings are supported on a frame-work that is rotatably adjustable and also carries a propeller and operating motor therefor whereby the side fins or wings together with the propellers may be shifted relative to the body of the dirigible to aid in ascending and descending movement of the dirigible.

A further object of the invention is to provide control valves for the water ballast carried by the gondola to aid in the rise and descent of the dirigible.

Another object of the invention is to provide a landing and mooring arrangement for the dirigible in the form of water runways in communication with a hangar arrangement with apparatus for moving the dirigible from one of the runways into the hangar.

With the above and other objects in view that will become apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings and claimed.

In the drawings:-

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an airship of the dirigible type constructed in accordance with the present invention, showing the side propellers and fins, the depending gondola containing the water ballast and the stabilizing arms or floats at one end ofthe dirigible body;

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the dirigible;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the gondola showing the construction that permits the chargmg of the gondola with water ballast;

(Cl. 24H) Figure 4 is a fragmentary end elevational view of the gondola;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view, partly broken away of the forward end of the gondola;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the rear end of the gondola showing the anchor drag net associated therewith;

Figure! is a vertical cross-sectional view taken on line 7-7 of Figure 1 showing the corrugated construction of the dirigiblebody or gas bag with the gondola depending therefrom and-the water ballast therein;

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the valve and operating mechanism associated with the ballast means in the gondola;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary side elevational viewof the frame or hearing carrying a side wing or fin and propeller, the motor associated with the bearing and the worm wheel for rotating the bearing;

Figure 10 is an elevational view of the arrangement shown in Figure 9 looking toward the outer end of the bearing;

Figure 11 is an end elevational view of the other end of the bearing showing the motor;

Figure 12 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the forward end of the dirigible;

Figure 13 is a top plan view of the landing and 85.

mooring arrangement for the dirigible and illustrates the water runways in communication with a hangar runway with the cover of the hangar removed and the devices for moving a dirigible into the hangar runway;

Figure 14 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 14-14 of Figure, 13; and

Figure 15. is a cross-sectional view taken on line 1515 of Figure 13.

Referring more in detail to the accompanying drawings, there is illustrated an airship of the dirigible typecomprising a body portion or gas bag 1 having the usual thin fabric or metal covering in and a tubular liner of corrugated metal 2 as shown in Figure 7 for increasing the strength of the gas bag and thereby lessening the number of struts required for internal bracing structure, the central tube portion 3 of the body 1 having tie rods or cables 4 radiating therefrom and anchored at their outer ends to the ring 5. The rear end of the body 1 of the dirigible is equipped with the usual rudder 6 and elevator '71 operated by mechanism not shown. A gondola 8 depends from the forward part of the dirigible body 1 and as shown in Figures 4 to 8 includes a sub-structure 9 providing water ballast chambers 10, the bottom wall of the substructure or water ballast chamber being designated by the reference numeral 11. The bottom wall 11 of the water ballast chamber as illus-.

trated in said figures and shown in bottom plan view in Figure 3has spaced upwardly curved wall sections 12 extending transversely of the bottom with spaced openings in the bottom at the upperedgeof each pair of walls '12 that is covered by a screen or grill 13, the openings leading into the water ballast chamber 10 and being controlled by separate valves 14 operated by'pneumatic devices 15 for opening and closing the valves when it is desired to charge the chain-- ber 10 with water for ballastpurposes or to discharge the water ballast from said chamber, a valve and its operating device being illustrated in- Figure 8.

As shown in Figures 1 and 6, the rear end of ;-the gondola in line with the sub-structure 9 is equipped with a drag anchor 16 in the form of a water bucket or scoop and to which a cable 16a sis attached for purposes presently to appear. To maintain the dirigible in a level condition when floating or movingover a water surface, depending floats or stabilizers 1'1 are carried by the body .portion 1 and any number thereof desired for accomplishing the results may be provided. When the floats or stabilizers are out of use, they may be deflated so that least resistance possible is offered 'to the forward travel of the dirigible.

The propelling devices for the dirigible are shown more clearly in Figs. 1, 7, and 9 toll and include relatively large rotatably mounted bearings 18 set into the sides of the bodyportion 1 and each having a side fin or wing 19 projecting outwardly and supported by the framework 20 shown in Figure 9. The rotatable bearing 18 includes a-framework having an outwardly directed arm 21 and an inwardly directed support 22 for a motor 23. The shaft 24 of the motor extends outwardly of the bearing above the arm 21 and enters a gear box 25 for transmitting motion to the propeller blade 26, it being understood that the dirigible may carry any number of propellers desired.- As an aid to. the elevator '7 to effect the rise and descent of the dirigible in travel, the bearings 18 may be rotatably adjusted for raising or lowering the front edges of the fins l9 and to change the direction of propelling force of the propellers 26 relative to the body portion 1 and to accomplish this result, the rotatable bearing 18 is provided upon one side thereof with worm teeth 2'! as shown in Figure 9 as engaged by the worm 28 shown in Figure 10.

An important feature of this invention is the landing and mooring construction for the dirigible as shown in Figs. 13 to 15. A concrete or other foundation 29 is designedto provide water runways 30 radiating from a central channel 31 and one of said nmways constitutes a hangar 32 covered by a frame structure 33 so that the dirigible may float upon water when housed or moored. As shown in Fig. 14, the dirigible A is illustrated as alighting upon the surface of the water in one of the nmways 30 and has dropped the drag anchor 16 to aid in alighting. Th'e dirigible B is floating upon the surface of the water in one of the runways30 as shown in Figs. 13 and 14 and is anchored by cables 34 to the side rail 35 of a runway. The cable 36 attached to the forward end of the dirigible is employed for moving the dirigible into the hangar runway 32, the side cables 34 being released, the draft cable 36 passing over a guide pulley 3'1 on a side of therunway 32 and engaged with the book of the crane 38 that is movable over the track 39 and operated by the motor 40,-the cable 36 moving the dirigible from one of the runways 30 into the hangar runway 32 to assume the positionas at C.

From the above detailed description of the invention, it is believed that the construction and operation thereof will at once be apparent, I

it being understood that the water ballast chmber 10 may be charged with water from the runways 30 and the discharge of the water ballast is under control of the valve 14 operated by the pneumatic devices 15, the water outletting through the screened openings 13. It is also to be noted that the dirigible may travel upon the surface of water by being maintained in a level condition provided by the sub-structure 9 of the gondola and the stabilizing floats 1'1. Rise and descent of the dirigible may be increased by ro- 113 tating the bearings 18 which carry the side fins 19 and propellers 26 while the mooring arrangement provides a hangar inclosure for the dirigible as well as a water supply for the ballast. As stated, the drag anchor'is in the form of a bucket 115 or scoop and as the carrying cable 16a for the samemay be of considerable'length, the bucket or scoop 16 may be lowered into a body of water as shown in Fig. 14 for purposes of recharging the water ballast chamber 10 without the necessity of landing the dirigible on a body of water. a

I claim:- In -a dirigible, a body portion, a gondola depending therefrom and having a sub-structure HUGO KARL DEUBEL. 

